Ideas put forth in Paradise

PARADISE – The Paradise Elementary School was buzzing with activity last weekend as a community input session was held within the historic building.

The Paradise Elementary School Preservation Committee hosted the input session last Saturday, Feb. 28 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

The session, or charrette, was a part of the ongoing feasibility study undertaken to repurpose the town’s historic schoolhouse, which opened its doors in 1910.

Philip Maechling, a member of the consultant team assisting the preservation committee with the ongoing feasibility study, initially proposed the input session.

Maechling stated in the last committee meeting in early February that he hoped the session would provide the community a chance to come together and discuss their plans and ideas for the future uses of the town’s school building.

Last weekend’s workshop seemed to fulfill these goals as the event was well attended with participants splitting off into four different groups, to discuss ideas for how to effectively repurpose the structure.

Members of the consultant team served as facilitators for the different “breakout” groups.

The facilitators were joined by university students from the University of Montana in Missoula and from Montana State University in Bozeman.  

The students from Missoula were undergraduates studying business, while the delegation from Bozeman was made up of both graduate students and undergrads, specializing in architecture and mechanical engineering.

Additionally, Professor Tom McNab of the MSU School of Architecture was also on hand, serving as a facilitator for one of the “breakout” groups.  

A focus of each “breakout” group was how to draw visitors to the site, regardless of the specific steps taken towards the repurposing of the site moving forward.

Both students and community residents discussed a number of ideas to draw traffic from Highway 200 towards the site.

Traffic, especially in the summer months is significant with visitors traversing both Highway 200 and Highway 135 on their way to and from Glacier National Park.

“You have money driving by. You just got to figure out how to rope it in,” Will Anderson said.

Anderson, an architecture student from MSU, stressed the importance of pursuing a commercially viable option.

Anderson suggested making use of local residents time, as opposed to fiscal donations, would be a good way to not only support the project, but also give members of the community a sense of ownership in the preservation committee’s ongoing efforts.

Echoing statements heard throughout the “breakout” groups David Dawa, a business student from UM, suggested the first step for any future use of the building would be drawing attention to whatever business or organization decides to open its doors at the historic location.

“I think the first step is putting the site on the map,” Dawa said.

At the conclusion of the day of rigorous discussion, each group presented their ideas to those in attendance, stressing the highlights of their work throughout the workshop. allowing everyone who These presentations allowed everyone to hear the various ideas and opinions proposed by their fellow community members.

Another group of students studying mechanical engineering at MSU, were also on hand to lend their support.

This group used the help of a thermal imaging camera, to help illustrate what parts of a building are losing heat.

This useful technology could provide needed assistance moving forward as heating would likely be a notable cost at the site as the project continues.

By determining where and how the building looses heat, steps could be taken to maximize the building’s energy efficiency and save some money moving forward.

In a couple of weeks the Paradise Preservation Committee will hold an open house on Saturday, March 21 at the Paradise Elementary School.

The open house will discuss the progress of the ongoing feasibility study and review the ideas discussed at February’s charrette.

The open house and review of last weekend’s workshop is scheduled to kick off at 10 a.m.